scotsman article

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Wed 2 Nov 2005

printer friendly email article How Murray can make it game, set and match

HIS LOOK

Fiona Firth, menswear controller at Harvey Nichols

"ANDY is tall, young and handsome, and he's ticking all the right boxes. But when he moves to the next level of serious sponsorship, he needs to see himself as the perfect clothes horse. This is where he'll make a fortune. Taking his wardrobe to bits and rebuilding it with quality pieces is the obvious starting point. A perfect suit by Paul Smith is No 1.

"Being seen to support British brands, as well as labels from his home turf, such as Scottish firms Ballantyne and Pringle, is of key importance.

"Unfortunately his age goes against him, and, in this day, you have to take your profession seriously. For him, this means looking older. We don't want to pile the pressure on him too much, but the media are looking for the new David Beckham. His grooming is imperative here: he needs to adopt a skin-care regime and stick to it.

"As the competition quotient increases, so will his air miles. Therefore, a comprehensive set of luggage and clothes is essential. He should look towards designers such as Martin Margiela for easy-to-wear jackets, Citizens of Humanity or Topman for jeans, and simple cottons and knitwear by John Smedley and Fred Perry. One rule, though: he has to keep his new look simple. There is nothing worse than a sport star turned fashion victim. Andy has to remember, he's now a brand."

MENTAL STRENGTH

Tom Lucas, sports psychologist from consultants Head-to-Head

"HE HAS to set himself specific goals and targets for the next year. Then he can gear himself towards them. Motivation is not an issue, but he needs a focus. Every time he steps on to court he will know why he is putting himself through all the hard work. Emotion is very important. He needs to keep a balance between passion and fire along with a more clinical approach and a cold head.

"He must now realise how good he is and could be. He could have killed off Henman a lot earlier, so, perhaps, he needs to work a little on not being too deferential. Now people expect things from him, it will hit harder. He will go from being the hunter to being the hunted and the level of expectation will rise.

"This is a different type of pressure. He won't be the new kid on the block. He needs to be clear what his goals are. If he does that, he will be all right."

PHYSICAL HEALTH

Dr John Leiper, professor of Sports Science at Aberdeen University

"ANDY has two major problems. He obviously has a chronic ankle problem that he is having to play on. He has got to look after that and also to play and mature and get stronger over the next year. Presumably, he will be looking to get into the top 20. He has got to keep fit and healthy. The rumours are that his nutrition is not particularly good. He needs to optimise his intake as he is still growing in terms of his muscles and bones. He needs energy and protein and must make sure he is properly hydrated to avoid cramping. The chances are that if his diet was good he would be getting enough sodium, even if he is losing sodium in the heat.

"He needs to get stronger muscularly, something which will come with maturity. His coaches may not wish to push him too fast with an ankle problem. There is no question he is not as strong as the older players. He has still got some growth. It is whether he can grow and play at the highest level."

THE GIRLS

Stewart Ferris, TV dating expert and author of The Little Book of Flirting

"ANDY is only 18 and still in short trousers, so he is clearly going to find the forthcoming flood of female attention somewhat bemusing. He'll be wondering if the girls like him for his personality, his looks or for the things he can do with his forehand.

"The reality is they will be attracted to him because he is a winner. At an instinctive level we are all attracted to people who win: we want to be associated with their success. Andy will have to remember that any girl he talks to should also be treated like a winner. He mustn't take for granted his elevated status and look down on female companions. His aura of celebrity will dissolve once a girl gets to know him, and that's when he'll have to use charm and be romantic like the rest of us."

THE PRESS

Jack Irvine, former editor of the Sun in Scotland who now heads Media House PR firm

"ANDY needs to appoint somebody to handle the media attention he is starting to get. He will enjoy an initial honeymoon period but it won't be long before the tabloids start sniffing around what he has done in the past - much like they have with David Cameron. There will also be a focus on the type of clubs he is going to and what girls he has on his arm.

"It would be good if he had an individual or a company to take the weight off his shoulders so that he can get on with his tennis. It's a sad fact of life, but, as my old boss Kelvin MacKenzie once said, 'we build 'em up high so we can knock 'em down low'. It will also be important that he is guided through what show business and charity events he should and shouldn't be going to. You can make a parallel with someone like Wayne Rooney a year ago. Very soon Andy is going to need some proper help, so he should get someone."

THE DEALS

John Colquhoun, a sports agent with Key Sports, whose clients include goalkeepers David James and Chris Kirkland

"EVEN though I look after footballers, my advice to Andy Murray would be the same, and that is for him to concentrate solely on what he does when he gets into his arena - in this case the tennis court. He needs to surround himself with good people who will look after him properly rather than chasing the easy money.

"He needs to keep himself in 100 per cent physical condition and that way the sponsorship deals and everything else will look after themselves.

"Fortunately, he so far looks like someone who enjoys the media spotlight and who looks able to cope with it. There is no point in trying to turn him into a recluse because the best way for him to deal with the pressure of fame is to be true to himself. He has been very lucky with the strong parental support he has, and, hopefully, that is something that will continue to work well both ways."

THE CASH

Chris Haines, head of wealth management, Bank of Scotland

"WITH no children or dependants, Andy is in a position to make the most of his income and also begin planning for his future outside the sport. The world of pensions is changing massively with new legislation coming into force in April 2006.

"At the moment the most a young self-employed person can contribute to pensions is £18,480 (per annum). However, after April this figure will rise up to £215,000.

"Sportsmen and women currently get special dispensation from the taxman which enables them to start receiving their pension early. This also changes next year and means they won't get access to their pension pot until their 55th birthday, so Andy needs to plan ahead to make sure he plugs that gap.

"His first point of call could be to take advantage of his £7,000-a-year ISA allowance, as well as well as looking into building capital through OEICs making use of his annual CGT allowance of £8,500.

"This could all sound rather overwhelming for a young man trying to keep his eye on the ball, but the benefits of private banking means Andy would have a personal client manager who he can trust to offer expert advice and manage his finances discreetly."

GOOD EXAMPLE

Bjorn Borg, former tennis world No 1, winner of 11 Grand Slam singles titles, including five at Wimbledon

"I THINK Murray is the next British star. I can't really see any weaknesses in his game. He is an extremely talented player.

"One thing I think he is going to have to work on is his temper. He needs to control his emotions on court. However, he is only young, only a teenager, and he is going to learn so much. I think he has a great future."